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3.88. (...) Further incentives for the tourism sector were granted by the Tourism Stimulus and Investment Act. These include exemption from corporate income tax for up to 25 years, exemption from custom duties on imports including furniture, fixtures, and fittings; alternative energy and energy saving equipment; and exemption from VAT on building materials and locally produced arts and crafts (Table 3.8).

3.96. (...) Product-testing is the shared responsibility of the Ministry of Agriculture; the Ministry of Health, Wellness and Elderly Affairs; and the Caribbean Environmental Health Institute. (...)

3.108. Saint Lucia introduced some environmental policy measures during the review period, including phasing out of Styrofoam and other single-use plastic food service containers in Saint Lucia (Cabinet Conclusions No. 695 of 2018 and No. 132(a) of 2019); the eventual prohibition on the use of Polystyrene (PS) and Expanded Polystyrene (EPS), along with Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and High-density Polyethylene (HDPS), containers in the local food service industry; the application of a 0% import duty on all biodegradable and compostable food service containers; and the imposition of new HS codes on the aforementioned products.

3.112. (...) With respect to food safety, recognizing regional deficiencies, CAHFSA[CARICOM's Caribbean Agricultural Health and Food Safety Agency] aims at adopting a regional approach, establishing an integrated Agricultural Health and Food Safety Regime to operate in collaboration with implemented national policies aimed at achieving high levels of food safety, enhancing regional agricultural trade competitiveness, and advancing environmental protection while safeguarding public health of member States.

3.113. (...) Additionally, the Environmental Health Department of the Ministry of Health, Wellness and Elderly Affairs deals with environmental issues, and the Pesticide Control Board maintains a register of pesticides and issues import permits for pesticides.

Table 3.10 Government corporations and statutory bodies in Saint Lucia, 2022
(...)
Government corporations and statutory bodies:
Government corporations:12. Water and Sewerage Company Inc. (WASCO)
Statutory bodies:35. Saint Lucia Solid Waste Management Authority
(...)

3.142. The Act also allows for the use by the Minister of Finance of emergency public procurement in cases of natural disasters of threat thereof; war; threat to national security, life, or the quality of life or environment; or when the condition or quality of goods, equipment, building, or publicly owned capital goods may seriously deteriorate unless action is urgently and necessarily taken to maintain them in their actual value or usefulness, or if an investment project may be seriously delayed for want of an item of a minor value. (...)

4.2. In 2021, the economic recovery seems to have boosted livestock production, but supply-side shortages, caused by Hurricane Elsa, led to a setback in crop production and exports, particularly in the second half of 2021. (...)

4.3. (...) The agricultural sector has also been increasingly affected by climate variability, extreme weather events, and pests and disease outbreaks. This, together with land use change for urban and tourism development, has led to the abandonment of farming areas and a decline in agricultural production and productivity.

4.4. (...) A number of initiatives were put in place during the review period to foster the development of the agricultural and fisheries sector, bearing in mind the need to protect the environment. (...)